To Fry or not to fry with olive oil?

What do you know about Smoke Point and Olive Oil?

Cooking allows us to transform basic ingredients into something wonderful using heat. A skilled cook has learned how to improve and diversify the flavor of his dishes; he knows for example how important it is to have low heat and the right technique to produce fluffy scrambled eggs.  A talented health conscious cook, however, will want to get the best nutritional benefits possible and that means knowing about smoke point and stability of cooking oil when frying food.

You might have heard about smoke point and stability of cooking oil but what does it mean?  

Smoke point refers to the temperature at which the fat changes its chemical compound, gives off smoke and becomes toxic. This breakdown of fats means that the oil has lost a lot of its flavor. The smoke point is related not only to the fatty acid content but also to the presence of free fatty acids and the acidity level. What you should know is that refined oils are said to be more stable because the refining process that manufacturers employ eliminates these elements.

Stability in cooking, refer to the resistance of oil or fat to high temperatures. Olive oil is stable oil because it has a high smoke point.

So what happens when you fry?

All fats, when subjected to high temperatures (180° C or 356° F for most olive oils), undergo changes to their molecular structure. At first, they lose their organoleptic and nutritional qualities, but as the temperature rises, they deteriorate, oxidize, and finally end up being bad for our health. Virgin olive oil reaches its smoke point at 190° C (374° F) on average, but the fresher and less acidic it is, the more stable, with the smoke point sometimes reaching 207° C (404° F).

Interestingly, the smoke point of refined sunflower oil is 232° C (450° F), the same as refined soy oil and peanut oils. Admittedly, they have higher smoke points than olive oil, but that is because they have been refined and have undergone a chemical extraction process which has also eliminated all of their health benefits. Extra-virgin olive oil, by contrast, is a pure, natural fruit juice.

When you fry with olive oil, a crust forms around the food, providing a sort of protection envelope around the food; this means that the oil does not seep in. At the same time, it makes the food crunchy and tasty.

This is an excerpt from 7 Wonders of Olive Oil to be released in January. 

The chapter “Cooking with Olive Oil” compares olive oil with other cooking oils especially when frying. It answers the question “Is it safe to fry with olive oil?”

Tunisian Olive Oil Trade is Booming

European Olive oil standards, rules, and labeling regulations have tightened but when an olive oil label says ‘made in Tunisia,' it is 100% Tunisian.  Tunisia has become one of the largest producers of organic olive oil.

Although Tunisia has been making olive oil since Roman times, the country’s extra virgin has always been in the background, exporting vast quantities of olive oil to giant producers in Italy and Spain. There, the oil would be blended with the local oil and sold as their own. Fortunately for the country’s economy, things are beginning to change. Even though Tunisia still exports to Europe, private companies now bottle and package the oil at home before selling to the international market.  The Tunisian olive oil industry is poised for success, finally being recognized for its excellent organic oil. According to the Olive Oil Times, Tunisia now boasts 2,987 organic farmers, 66% of which are involved in exporting olive oil.

A tax break granted by the European Parliament to Tunisia in March 2016 will further strengthen the economy of this North African country. Tunisians producers can now export up to 35,000 tons more olive oil in 2016 and 2017 without any additional duties. This is welcoming news for a country where olives and olive oil play a major role not only in the economy but also in the environment section as well as providing jobs at home.

Here’s how one of those olive oil producers from this Africa’s smallest country is making a difference.

Huilerie Anis is a small business situated some 90 kilometers, or so from the capital city Tunis: this is where the Ben Fredj family grows olives to produce 95% certified biological olive oil.

 Anis Ben Fredj speaks with passion and commitment when he talks about the importance of quality management:

"We are in total control from A to Z of the olive oil we produce and export.  We grow our olives,  have our own mill and ensure the best  storage conditions for our fine olive oil,  even for the most demanding and refined customer,” he says enthusiastically.

At Huilerie Anis they grow the two main varieties of olives found in Tunisia   - Chetoui and Chemlali, which are hand-picked at harvest time and processed the same day. The company produces the extra virgin olive oil brand-- Oliviera Bio-- certified organic by Ecocert the French certification body for sustainable development. Their extra virgin olive oil- Le Soleil de Carthage made from ripe olives has an acidity of less than 0.5%.

Anis explained that the olives are sometimes blended, a challenge they have perfected over the years.   “It all depends on what flavor profile the customer wants”. Huilerie Anis now exports to Canada where Anis says they prefer more delicate oil.

“They like oil that’s not too spicy, so we mix Chetoui and Chemlali accordingly,” he added.

Today the company produces between 3, 000 and 4,000 tons of oil per year depending on the harvest but most of it exported in bulk and marketed without even mentioning the country of origin. The family would like to change this.

 I asked Anis what he hoped the company would achieve in next five years.

In a gentle but serious manner he replied:

“To commercialize more under our own name, we export in bulk to Spain and Italy, but  the country of origin is not known. What we would like is to increase this amount a little more every year.”

Tunisia produces around 25,00O tons of biological olive oil every year. Out of this, the Ben Fredj family concern produces about 4, 000 tons, which represents 15% of the national product, good results from this small business with strong family commitments.

Encouraging too for the future of Tunisian olive oil is the interest from Japan.

In November 2016, JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency visited Tunisia  with the aim of promoting Tunisian food products and olive oil.   This discovery might soon have Japanese chefs making sushi with Tunisian olive.

This positive image in international markets is encouraging for local olive growers who already recognize that the most important ingredients for a  burgeoning olive oil production in Tunisia are great initiative, commitment, and passion. Africa’s smallest country is now set  for a prominent position in the global olive oil market.   


                               

Anis Ben Fredj from Huilerie Anis

Appreciating olive oil can start at any age, the younger, the better

    

Olive oil tasting is a bit like wine tasting: think of it as a sensory experience, an acquired taste. What’s different though is that the law clearly stipulates that only those who have reached the legal drinking age can pick up and savor a glass of wine. That law thankfully does not apply to olive oil. Learning to appreciate the green nectar at an early age is an enormous advantage to young adults: it will steer them towards making the right choices and eventually towards a healthy lifestyle later on.

    How soon then can our taste our taste buds start recognizing flavors and distinguish between excellent, mediocre and bad olive oil?

        

    Research carried out in Greece on 190 high school students show that teenagers once they are made aware of the sensory properties, and the analysis of extra virgin olive oil can distinguish between extra virgin olive oil and defective oil.  The results also showed that the young adults aged between 13 and 15 years old were able to recognize rancid and muddy sediment in olive oil.

    

    The participants come from Messenia one of the most common olive oil producing regions where olive oil culture is deeply rooted, curious and expansive:  they are used to consuming olive oil in their daily diet.

   

    Vasilis Demopoulos, Anna Milionis and Panagiotis Skouras from The Kalamata Olive Oil Taste Laboratory carried out the studies. Trained in sensory evaluation, they are part of a team of 14 professionally trained olive oil tasters lead by Dr. Vasilis Demopoulos, all volunteers from the wider community of Messinia involved in sensory evaluation since 2011. The self- funded laboratory offers sensory analysis services to producers and conducts educational seminars to olive oil professionals and aficionados.

           

    Here’s what the students had to do with the five oils they received from the trainers:

•      Decide which of the five oils were extra virgin and which oils were defective
•      Rank the extra virgin oils according to intensity, decide which were robust, medium and       delicate
•        Indicate which oils they preferred

  The results showed the following:

•       The students identified the most common defects of olive oil
•       Students often assessed robust and delicate oils as defective
•       Discrimination of EVVO's according to intensity was a challenging task - not suitable for           young adults or untrained panel

Students preferred at large medium intensity oils to robust and delicate oils - similar to other consumer studies.

Commenting on the results Anna Milionis who was responsible for the educational material and training of the students said:

         
         “While the ranking of intensity was a challenging task for the students, their preference for medium to delicate olive oils over the robust sample nevertheless showed an awareness of intensity distinction but at the same time the need to re-educate ourselves in the appreciation of bitterness and pungency – hence the health benefits of olive oil.” 

   
   The study was funded by the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos  Foundation, a private non-profit foundation, founded in 2011 to honor Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos. Its aim is to establish Messinia as a model for sustainable agricultural development, by supporting and promoting related projects. So far it has supported a series of activities, varying from research on local seed varieties to seminars on local gastronomy and products, as well as the promotion of local products' export.

   
   Dionissis Papadatos, the project manager of the Foundation, said: “The purpose of this action was to introduce the concept of the quality of olive oil to young people who are potential future olive oil producers. Taking into consideration that olive oil quality is directly linked to agronomic, extraction and storage practices, our goal was to highlight the critical points that will give added value to the olive oil of Messinia. The new generation of producers is those who will determine the future of olive oil production in our region.”

   
   If anything, this study shows that appreciation of olive oil and cultural traditions do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.  Knowing how to recognize the freshness of olive fruit by smelling and being able to appreciate bitterness and pungency in olive oil is not only a challenge for us adult consumers but more so for children.

Greek  high school students at an olive oil  tasting session 

My thanks to Anna Milionis for her input and photo.  

Comptoir O Huiles: An Olive Oil Bar in Marseille 

The converted old bakery is today a warm, enticing meeting place for lovers of extra virgin.

 On holiday in Marseille, the Parisian couple was curious by the sign “Comptoir O Huiles".  They simply had to go in, have a look and maybe buy some oil from Provence.  They knew hardly anything about olive oil but here in beautifully displayed rustic surroundings was a boutique with an extensive range of olive oils where the owner invited you to learn about the art of tasting olive oil:  here too was a place which served light authentic dishes from Provence all made with healthy extra virgin. 

They were captivated.

What better environment to learn about aromas and olive oil fruitiness?

Gaëlle Carougeau is the owner of Comptoir O Huiles situated in France’s second largest city. She runs her business with real professionalism. The young entrepreneur is an olive oil expert trained by AFIDOL, the French Interprofessional Association of Olive and also a member of the Afidol jury. This means that she is experienced in the different profile flavors of extra virgin olive oil; she knows the importance of the French term Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, ( the EU equivalent, the Appellation d'Origine Protégée)  

Gaëlle teaches novices how to smell and taste extra virgin, how to recognize the different flavors.  But not all her customers are novices. Some are knowledgeable; they already know about Provencal flavors; these clients are keen to discuss subtle flavors and how best to use them with different dishes.

 How does this connoisseur choose the oils for her boutique?

Gaëlle said that aroma, terroir, harvesting methods and the date of harvest significantly influence her choice. About 80% of her oils come from the region, the rest she buys from producers in Italy and Crete.

The young entrepreneur gets enormous satisfaction from seeing customers seated around her “table d’hote’ sharing, learning and discussing Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil, and food -    all principles of the Mediterranean diet.  She says’ there’s nothing more rewarding than sharing your passion.’

The visiting couple opted for a pasta dish, a Provençal specialty 'Pate a la Poutargeus' followed by a 'fondant au chocolat' made with extra virgin olive oil AOP from the Baux de Provence.

The verdict?

A superb experience, they said delightfully.

“We were shy and nervous to sip and slurp the oils as we started the tasting but Gaëlle is an excellent hostess, with an infectious laugh, and a talent for putting her guests at ease. You couldn’t ask for a better teacher.” 

Why We Should be Concerned About Olive Tree Diseases

Olive fly Bactrocera oleae and the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa are serious concerns for olive growers. Tearing down thousands of olive trees because of disease is devastating for the   environment.

 I recently talked to Fabienne Maestracci a talented olive grower from Bonifacio the southernmost tip of Corsica. We talked mostly about her winning both gold and silver medals for her harvesting of Corsican olive oils. Understandably, she was thrilled to win the awards but what I found alarming was the fear she expressed over the dreaded Xylella fastidiosa.   The disease was  spotted for  the first time near her orchard around this time last year causing   great concern in France’s Isle de la Beauté . Thankfully the infected plants were destroyed.  

 However, Fabienne feels that “the danger would always be there” and says  that more can  be done to control plants being imported. It seems Xyella fastidious came to Europe via an infected plant that came  from Costa Rica.

Olive growers already have the olive fly to worry about.  Known as Bactrocera oleae, the invasion takes place when the female olive fly lays its eggs in the fruit, just under the skin. The fruit rots fall to the ground prematurely and cannot be used.   Olive growers know that if they don’t adopt a reliable fruit control program they can easily lose all their fruit. To make matters worse, these last few years we’ve been having mild winters and humid summers ideal thriving conditions for the olive fly.

Xylella fastidiosa is different.  There  is no known remedy for this  plant bacteria classed as one of the most dangerous in the world. It attacks citrus fruits, olive trees, grape vines and a lot more plants. Although not dangerous to humans, once the disease is established, it starts infecting other plants. 

We first heard of the disease in Europe in 2013 when it caused widespread devastation in Southern  Italy then later in 2015 in France.  To combat the disease, Italian farmers had to chop down their olive trees; to prevent the disease from spreading they were forced  to destroy thousands of ancient olive trees.

If we keep doing that though  we'll have  an environmental problem. Although the  European Parliament is  doing its  best to keep the disease at bay,  this is a problem for everyone everywhere: for gardeners, horticulturists, as well as consumers of extra virgin olive oil. Lovers of exotic plants have to be more careful what they bring back into the country and also what they order on the internet.

As the International Olive Oil Council says “Given the natural capacity of olive trees to store atmospheric CO2 in the soil, our message could be ‘that olive oil is both healthy and good for the environment.'

Let’s try to  keep it that way.